Fork-guard



(Modem J. F. DODGE;

Fork-Guard.

"No. 227,224. I Pat ented May 4, I880.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. DODGE, OF BENNINGTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

FORK-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 227,224, dated May 4, 1880.

Application filed March 5, 1880. I (ModeL) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHN F. DODGE, 0 Bennington, in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Fork- Guards and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a carving fork equipped with my detachable guard. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the guard detached from the fork. Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing a modified construction of the guard; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fork and detachable guard as the latter is placed when not in use.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts in all the figures.

My invention has relation to table-cutlery; and it consists in the construction of a detachable guard for carving-forks, substantially as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the drawings, A is the fork, the shank A of which has one or more apertures, a. The detachable guard, which may be made of steel or any other suitable metal, or of wire, consists, essentially, of three partsviz., the guardpoint or finger B, the legs or supports 0 O, and the attachment-prongs D D.

The finger B is slotted longitudinally, as shown at b, and made with a shoulder or offset, 0 c, on each side.

Each of the legs 0 O has a projecting pin or prong, D, which terminates in a catch, (1; or, when the guard is made of wire, as in Fig. 3. the prongs D D are formed by bending the ends of the wire, after this has been doubled to form the legs 0 (J, at right angles, the slot 1) in the finger-guard B being formed in that case by the doubling of the wire, as clearly shown in the drawings.

To use the guard the slotted finger B is inserted through the aperture to in the shank of the fork, and by compressing the legs the shoulders c 0 may be passed through, when, by the expansion of the slotted finger, the guard will be held firmly in position upon the shank between its shoulders c c and legs 0 O, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

When not in use the guard is placed upon the fork, as shown in Fig. 4, by inserting the attachment-prongs D D (first compressing the legs 0 O) through the aperture in the shank, with the finger B pointing downward. Even in this position the diverging legs will serve as a guard for the hand holding the fork, though not, of course, to the extent as when properly placed upon the fork for that purpose.

This guard is eifectual in operation and ornamental in appearance, and can be attached to or detached from the fork in a moment. By removing it the fork can be cleaned much better than where itis provided with a hinged guard that is not detachable, and there are no springs or other parts to become rusty and wear out.

It is also obvious that the guard itself can be cleaned better and easier when it is detached from the fork and forms a separate part or piece than when it is hinged or otherwise attached permanently to this.

If desired, the bifurcated guard or finger B may be extended down below the point where it branchesoff to form the legs 0 G, to form two downwardly-projecting prongs, like the laterally-projecting prongs D D, in which case the guard is attached by inserting said downwardly-extending prongs (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) through the aperture 0, in the fork-shank, from the upper side, in which case, of course, the shoulders c 0 may be dispensed with.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States-- .1. A detachable guard and support for carving-forks, composed of the slotted finger B, having offsets c c, diverging legs 0 O, and attachment-prongs D D, all made in one piece, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the fork A A, slotted at a, of the detachable guard B O O D D, slotted at I), substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. JOHN F. DODGE.

W'itnesses:

JOSIAH P. OURrIs, AUeUs'rUs W. GRAY. 

